A Change of Plans
by OutlawPrincess1
Summary: Ben doesn't eat before a big game, but Mal tries to guilt him into eating a cookie. Ben, though, has a compromise in mind. Wait till the end of the game to eat the cookie. What difference could just a few hours make? A pretty big one apparently as a change in the Love Spell Plan comes about as a result. Would Ben have still asked Mal out without the magic cookie? Find out. Bal Fic.


Author's Note-Just a small plot that jumped out at me, a sort of what if Ben hadn't taken the love potion. Would things have been drastically different? I felt like Ben was actually about to break up with Audrey just before he ate the potion, but Audrey didn't give him a chance to even talk. So I wanted to explore what if he'd asked Mal to wait till after the game to eat the cookie, just a few hours difference can change a lot. So here's my take on it.

Might just be a few chapters worth of a story, no more than 10 I'd think, something less than that maybe? Not sure, I guess we'll see.

Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or the Isle of the Lost.

*(*)*

A Pointless Potion

"I just made a batch of cookies," Mal smiled as she held up a baggie with a single cookie in it for Ben to see as they stood by the lockers of Auradon Prep, trying, no _needing_ him, to eat it, "Double chocolate chip. Do you want one?"

"I've got a big game," he gently turned down her offer, "I don't eat before a big game. But thank you, so so much. Thank you. Next time, next time," he turned to head off.

"No, yeah," Mal stepped after him, making him pause and turn back, "I completely understand, be careful of treats offered by kids of villains…"

"No, no, no," he shook his head, that wasn't it at all! He really didn't eat before a big game.

"No, I'm sure every kid in Auradon knows that," Mal shrugged it off.

"No, that's not it," Ben repeated, "No, no, no, I really do have a…"

"No, I get it, you're cautious," Mal interrupted, "That's smart," she sighed though, "More for me I guess…"

"No, no, hey, how about this," he reached out, putting his hand on hers as she moved to take the cookie out to eat, "I'll eat it after the game, yeah?" he smiled, "It can be like a…victory treat after we win."

"And what if you lose?" Mal hesitated, not sure if she should agree to that or try to con him into eating the cookie now. She didn't know how long the love spell baked into it would be good for.

"Then I'll need something to cheer me up," he countered with a smile, "Like a cookie."

Mal considered her options, she could either continue to try and guilt him into a cookie, which, admittedly might come across as suspicious soon. She had glimpsed Doug out of the corner of her eye, standing behind one of the doors, seeming to wait for Evie to finish speaking with Carlos. If she kept this up, Doug might get suspicious even if Ben didn't.

Or, she could take his offer and wait just a few more hours for him to finish the game and eat it then. She would have his promise to eat it when the time came, he wouldn't think it was odd at all, and she was sure he'd actually eat it.

"Ok," she nodded, "Deal," she held out her hand for him to shake.

Ben beamed as he took her hand, though their shake started to slow to them simply holding hands, much like it had the first time they'd met.

"Right," Ben shook himself out of it first, much like last time, "I'll catch you after the game then."

Mal blinked as Ben shot her a wink before he walked off.

"M?" Evie's voice nearly made her jump, or it would have if she were easily startled, and she looked over to see Evie had stepped beside her, "Did he eat the cookie?"

"He will," Mal promised, "After the game," she nodded, "He'll eat it then."

*(*)*

The game had been amazing, one of the best Ben had ever played he was sure. Jay and Carlos had been an outstanding addition to the team and, he was sure, the only reason they had managed to win their Tourney game against their long-time rivals from Sherwood. He was so high on the victory of the game that he almost didn't realize Audrey had rushed over to him, his gaze pulled to a purple haired girl in the crowd that was holding her ears at the shouting and cheers around her. He had just laughed at the sight when he felt Audrey throw herself at him, giving him a quick hug before she was pulling away, her hands on his shoulders and turning him to face her.

He frowned at the scrutinizing expression on her face, "What?"

Audrey just reached out and turned his face left and right before sighing with relief, "Good, I was afraid you might have gotten bruised during the match."

"Yeah," he said slowly, "It was a pretty hard match. But I'm fine."

"Well that's good," she smiled, "The _last_ thing you need is to get all bruised before your coronation. A prince has to look his best after all."

Ben's small smile from the victory started to fade entirely, "You were worried about how I'd look at the coronation?"

"Of course," Audrey rolled her eyes, "It's my duty as your girlfriend to make sure you look your best at all times. And bruise can only be hidden by so much make up and with all eyes on you it's best to just avoid them all together."

Ben shook his head at that, at the fact she was more worried about how he'd look for the coronation than that he was genuinely hurt and in pain.

"Listen, Audrey…" he began, hearing a familiar echo of what he'd said to her, or tried to say, before she'd hurried off earlier, before Mal had offered him a cookie. He'd been about to break up with her then, but she hadn't given him a chance to speak before she was talking about her coronation dress and rushing off, "I think we need to take a break."

"Ok," Audrey replied brightly, "I'm glad you said that Benny-Boo, you don't need to go out for victory pizza with the team, we can take a break from the rest and have our own celebration dinner. I heard that Lumiere's is a fantastic restaurant and…"

"No, no, Audrey…" he gently pried the fingers she'd put to cup his neck off, holding her hands between them, putting space between them, "I meant…" he sighed, knowing he needed to be clear and firm even if it hurt her, "I think we should break up."

Audrey was silent for an entire minute, staring at him, "I'm sorry," she smiled, tenser than before, "I must have some hearing damage from the victory cheers, I thought you just said you wanted to break up."

"I did," he repeated, "Audrey, I think we both know this isn't…"

"What?" she demanded, pulling her hands away from him, "Isn't what?"

He knew it would be too cruel to say that it wasn't love that they had between them, so instead he said, "Working. It's not working between us Audrey. I'm sorry, I really am, I hope we can still be…"

"Friends?" she scoffed, crossing her arms. He could only shrug and nod, "Then, as your _friend_ ," she nearly spat the last word, "I'm going to do you a favor."

"…and what's that?" he hesitated to ask.

"I'm going to give you time to come to your senses," she lifted her chin, "You're under a lot of stress, I understand, the coronation only days away, the children from the Isle of the Lost running amuck," she shot a glare to the side where Evie and Mal were congratulating Jay and Carlos near the bleachers, before she returned her look to him, "And you're trying to cut back on it in the wrong areas. So you take a few days, relax, and then come find me and maybe I'll take you back."

"Audrey…" he nearly sighed, having wanted to tell her that he was being serious, but she turned quickly, so fast that her hair swung around, the ends of it whacking him in the nose, and strutted away. He didn't bother to go after her, his gaze was pulled back to the bleachers as she passed them, his attention falling on Mal.

She seemed to catch his glance, said something to her friends quickly before she made her way over to him off to the side of the field, "Hey Benny-Boo," she teased him, a mocking tone to her voice.

For some reason, it didn't sound as irritating coming from Mal as it did Audrey, "Hey."

"So, you won," she smirked.

"The team did," he nodded though he was smiling, "Me, on the other hand..."

"What?" she frowned slightly.

"Audrey and I just broke up."

Mal's eyes widened at that as she blinked, "You…broke up."

"Yeah."

"Well that's…quite a loss?" she didn't seem to have a clue what to say at that.

"Not as much as you would think," he admitted quietly to her, almost surprised that he'd said that, but with Mal right in front of him, it was hard to think that he'd lost something instead of that he might be able to gain something else now, "A real victory though would be if you say yes to something."

"Me? Say yes? To what?" she shook her head.

"A date."

Mal gaped at him, "A date?"

"Yeah," he nodded, half holding his breath.

"With you?"

"Well, if you want me to set you up with Chad…" Ben trailed off, more amused than serious.

"No," Mal shook her head, "No, no, no way, no."

Ben laughed at that, "Well then, a date with me?"

"Um…" Mal blinked rapidly, glancing back over her shoulder at her friends, and then to him, "I…"

She didn't know why she was hesitating, this was exactly what she wanted, Ben to break up with Audrey and ask her to be his girlfriend so she could get the Fairy Godmother's wand. She should be jumping at this.

But something was throwing her off.

He was asking her, he, Ben, himself was asking her… _without_ a love potion?

She could feel the cookie pressed into her pocket, whole and solid, having gone nowhere near Ben's lips, and he was actually asking HER out. Of his own free will?

What?!

Ben's smile started to falter at her hesitation, "I mean, we…we don't have to call it a date. It…um…we…we don't…YOU don't…"

"Yes," she answered quickly, "I…yes, I will go on a date with you."

Ben positively beamed at that, seeming so happy that Mal actually felt the breath leave her at how truly joyous he seemed at the prospect of just going on a date with her. She'd never seen anyone THAT happy to have the chance to spend time with her alone. She'd never seen anyone WANT to spend time with her alone in that sort of way.

"Great," he laughed, unable to stop smiling, "Um, tomorrow?" he asked, trying to recall how to be polite and patient when all he wanted to do was take her hand and whisk her away to a date right that second.

But he had nothing set up, he was smelly and sweaty, and she was clearly half in shock of being asked out and he knew she'd want to regain her footing before spending a date with him. And the team would drag him off to victory pizza in a few seconds, he could already see them appointing Jay the Most Valuable Player, and that would mean they'd be going any second now.

"Tomorrow?"

He had to laugh again at how she kept repeating what he said as a question when she was thrown off her game, "Yeah," he nodded, "Maybe around lunch?"

"…ok?"

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he turned, about to jog back to the team, when a thought struck him and he spun back around to face her, "Oh, right! The cookie," he held out a hand for it, "I DID promise to try it."

"No!" she said quickly, so fast and suddenly that she seemed to surprise herself at how insistent it came out, "I um…I mean…I…" she looked around, blinking rapidly, "You already got your treat, a date with me," she smirked.

"But that cookie looked good," he teased, also trying to show her that he really WOULD eat it, that it really had just been the game and not that she was a villain's child that made him not eat it earlier.

"I sat on it?" she swallowed hard, her eyes widening in a way that made him feel like she couldn't believe what she'd just said.

"You sat on it?" this time it was HIS turn to repeat her.

"Yeah," she cleared her throat, "I don't make cookies often and I forgot it was in my pocket and I sat down and…no more cookie. Unless you want crumbs that is."

"No, no, it's fine," he nodded, "You'll just have to make another batch one day and give me first taste."

Mal gave him a tense nod at that, one he returned much more easily, before he waved at her and headed off to the team.

Mal let out a breath as he disappeared to the boys, turning on her heel and walking back to where Evie and Lonnie were gushing about the match, lost in her thoughts.

Why hadn't she just given him the cookie? She asked herself, feeling her hand curl around it in her jacket pocket. She should have. She really should have, that was the plan, they'd been up all night making the cookie and she just…wasted it.

Why?

Well…for one, it didn't seem like she needed it. Ben had asked her out without the cookie. (Why?) Ben had broken up with Audrey without the cookie. (Not really much guesswork there for why.) And well, it might be better off this way. She doubted love spells such as the one in her mother's book would be seen as a good thing in Auradon, they might even be illegal for all she knew, she vaguely recalled hearing something about it being outlawed in Queen Ariel and King Eric's kingdom. If that held elsewhere, if she was caught, if she'd been caught with Ben having a love potion in his system, she could be booted off back to the Isle…and then her mother would never be proud of her, ever, there would be no chance of praise ever again if she failed her mother in this.

What had she been thinking to even try the potion?!

It HAD to be illegal and she could have been sent back to the Isle!

Thinking about it, it was probably a very good thing really, to not use the potion. Wouldn't it be that much sweeter, wouldn't her mother be that much prouder of her, if she was able to dupe a prince without use of a potion? If she did it all on her own?

Though…now there was one problem.

She was going on a date with Ben, a Ben that would be free to decide if she should be his girlfriend or not without a potion telling him she should be. A Ben that would use this date as a deciding factor, she HAD to nail it, she HAD to make sure she snared him.

The problem now being…

She'd never gone on a date before.

"E!" she called as Evie quickly turned away from Lonnie and hurried to her side, "I think I need your help."

"Whatever it is, M, you can count on me," Evie reassured her.

Mal sighed, "Ben just asked me out on a…" she looked around, not wanting others to hear in case they tried to get in Ben's head beforehand and talk him out of it, "A date."

Evie just beamed, "We can handle this."

*(*)*

Author's Note-So just sort of an alternate take on what could happen. Next chapter will probably be their date and stuff. Don't know when it'll be posted, I'll try for within the week.


End file.
